Too Tired to Tango

Little Bean is now into her third week of attending pre-school (Little School) three full days a week and I’m really starting to notice a difference in her and not in a good way. I’m not being an unsympathetic Mummy, I can see that this difference in her is tiredness. She comes home from pre-school exhausted and she is so whiny and argumentative.

Since starting this new routine at pre-school she wakes up at 6am instead of 7am (of her own accord and much to Daddy’s dismay), by teatime she is almost impossible. She cries at the drop of a hat and loses the ability to share, which is something she has always been pretty good at.

Unfortunately she isn’t the sort of child to sit down and have ‘quiet’ time. As soon as she feels herself start to nod off to sleep she will jump up and get herself revved up to stay awake. She gets louder and more manic, almost hyperactive. She winds her brothers up and starts fights, its really not a pleasant experience at all and I’m a bit lost as to what I should do? I have been trying to get her to have naps on a Monday and Friday afternoon (when she is not at school) to get caught up on sleep which last weekend had the effect of her sleeping in until 8am on Saturday morning.

I’m sure I am not the only Mummy to be having these issues so how do you deal with your tired tearaways as they settle themselves into pre-school or nursery? All comments and advice are gratefully received.

2 Comments

Penny

September 23, 2011 / 5:03 pm

I sought advice for this earlier on this year and this is the advice I was given! When children attend pre school they are highly stimulated all day so after a wind down time when they get home they then get ratty and naughty because they are bored as there is not the stimulation they’ve had all day. Set them up with a simple activity they can do to keep their attention and try to avoid the dramas. When Megan gets in we sit at the table and have a drink and snack and attempt to talk about her day (if she’s willing!) she then has half an hour in front of cbeebies to wind down. I then either get her to help me prepare dinner,set her up with play doh, jigsaws, crayons etc, or play a simple game with her. I have also taken to giving her a bath about 4pm as it occupies her and saves trying to do it later when it is likely to be stressful because she’s tired! It does get easier as they build up stamina to cope!! Good Luck! xx

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